Right now, it appears nobody is going to beat Houston. Not in a series. Not in a game. They are doing everything right. Clutch hitting. Smothering pitching.

They rolled through Seattle with a sweep. They are halfway through New York with a sweep.

If this continues, Houston will be only the second team in the playoff era to sweep the postseason.

In 1976, there was only one round of playoffs before the World Series. 

The Cincinnati Reds were in the final year of The Big Red Machine dynasty, with 1976 being their fourth World Series in seven years. They won in it all in 1975. The 1976 team was loaded. Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Pete Rose, George Foster, Ken Griffey, Dave Concepcion, Dan Driessen.

They won 102 regular season games, and went up against the Phillies in the playoffs, who won 101 games. 

That year, the Reds led the N.L. in every significant offensive category including runs scored, batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases.

They were, to put it simply, dominating.

The Reds swept the Phillies in the playoffs, then swept the New York Yankees in the World Series, becoming the first and, so far, only team to sweep a postseason.

The Astros are on their way. Nobody, it seems, can slow them down.

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